を機にTaking an occasion as a turning point
を機に presents an event as the occasion or opportunity for starting a new action, policy, habit, or phase. It often suggests that someone recognizes or uses the event as a turning point.
How the two parts work
The noun or clause before the construction identifies the occasion. The main clause then states the new action, decision, change, or phase that follows. The occasion need not be happy, and the change need not be purely personal, but the event is normally presented as more than a mechanical cause.
An organizational turning point
創立十周年を機に、会社は研修制度を全面的に見直した。
On the occasion of its tenth anniversary, the company completely overhauled its training system.
AnalyzeUsing a clause for the occasion
子どもが独立したのを機に、私は郊外から都心へ引っ越すことにした。
When my child became independent, I took the opportunity to move from the suburbs into the city center.
AnalyzeOccasion, trigger, or boundary?
を機に frames an event as an occasion for consequential change. をきっかけに is broader and easier in conversation, especially for an accidental trigger. を契機に is also formal and often presents an event as prompting a significant development. By contrast, を境に emphasizes a dividing line between the period before and the period after, rather than an occasion that someone uses or recognizes.
More examples
定年退職を機に、私は地域のボランティア活動に参加し始めた。
I used my retirement as an opportunity to start taking part in local volunteer activities.
Analyze新社屋への移転を機にして、当社は紙の申請書を廃止します。
With the move to our new headquarters, we will discontinue paper application forms.
Analyze海外勤務を終えたのを機に、彼女は働き方を見直すことにした。
After finishing her overseas assignment, she took the opportunity to reconsider how she worked.
Analyze法改正を機に、業界全体で安全基準を見直す動きが始まった。
The legal revision prompted an industry-wide move to reassess safety standards.
Analyze博物館は、開館二十周年を機に、常設展示を全面的に刷新した。
On the occasion of its twentieth anniversary, the museum completely renewed its permanent exhibition.
Analyze私は今回の受賞を機に、研究成果を一般向けにも発信していきたい。
I would like to use this award as an opportunity to begin sharing my research findings with the general public as well.
Analyze